法苑珠林 21.11

21.11

又佛說華聚陀羅尼經云。佛言。若復有人持以七寶如須彌山等。於一劫中布施聲聞辟支佛。不如有出家在家人能持一錢以用布施初發菩提心人得福德多。比前功德。百分千分萬分不及其一。乃至算數譬喻所不能及。寶梁經云。佛言。善男子。我今說世有二人應受信施。何等為二。一勤行精進。二得解脫。令此施主得大利益有三種施。一常施食。二僧房舍。三行慈心。此三福中慈心最勝。

Also, the Sūtra of the Dhāraṇī of the Cluster of Flowers Preached by the Buddha says: The Buddha said, 'If a person were to take the seven treasures in an amount equal to Mount Sumeru and give them to śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas for the duration of a kalpa, it would not equal the great merit obtained by a renunciant or layperson who can take a single coin and give it to someone who has first aroused the bodhicitta. Compared to the former merit, it does not match a hundredth part, a thousandth part, a ten-thousandth part, nor can it be reached by reckoning or metaphor.' The Baoliang jing says: The Buddha said, 'Good son, I now declare that there are two kinds of people in the world who ought to receive gifts of faith. What are the two? First, those who diligently practice energetic progress; second, those who have attained liberation. There are three kinds of giving that cause such donors to gain great benefit: first, constantly giving food; second, giving monastic dwellings; third, practicing a mind of loving-kindness. Among these three kinds of merit, the mind of loving-kindness is supreme.'